Scientists’ views on (moral) luck

Title

Scientists’ views on (moral) luck

 Author

Sand, M. (TU Delft Ethics & Philosophy of Technology) ORCID 0000-0001-8167-4581
Jongsma, Karin (University Medical Center Utrecht)

Date

2020

 Abstract

Scientific discoveries are often to some degree influenced by luck. Whether luck’s influence is at odds with common-sense intuitions about responsibility, is the central concern of the philosophical debate about moral luck. Do scientists acknowledge that luck plays a role in their work and–if so–do they consider it morally problematic? The present article discusses the results of four focus groups with scientists, who were asked about their views on luck in their fields and its moral implications. The participants underscored circumstantial luck as a key dimension of luck in science. Nevertheless, most participants insisted that there are ways of executing ‘control’ in science: They believe that virtues and skills can increase one’s chances for success. The cultivation of these skills and virtues was considered a reasonable ground for pride. Prizes and rewards were rarely tied to personal desert, but instead to their societal function.


 Subject

control
Moral luck
qualitative research
RRI
serendipity

 To reference this document use:

http://resolver.tudelft.nl/uuid:2b555e2c-45c0-4582-8bb8-acd35dde1c2e

 DOI

https://doi.org/10.1080/23299460.2020.1799623

 ISSN

2329-9460

 Source

Journal of Responsible Innovation, 7 (S2), S64-S85

 Part of collection

Institutional Repository

 Document type

journal article

 Rights

© 2020 M. Sand, Karin Jongsma
Files
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